He pushed four red and three blue chips toward the little pile. Clancy did some quick figuring. The blue chips must be worth one hundred dollars apiece. It was incredible, ghastly, but—fascinating. Grannis stared at Weber. "I think you mean it, Ike," he said gently. "But—so do I—I'm with you." Lallo turned over his exposed card. With mock reproach, he said: "Why, I thought you fellows were playing. Now that I see you're in earnest——" He winked merrily at Clancy. Zenda chuckled. "Didn't know we were playing for keeps, eh, Lal? Well, nobody deceived me. I'm with you, Ike." He put in his chips and dealt again. When, finally, five cards had been given each remaining player, Grannis had two eights, an ace and a king showing. Weber dropped out on the last card but Zenda called Grannis' bet of seven hundred and fifty dollars. Grannis turned over his "buried" card. He had another king, and his two pair beat[Pg 21] Zenda's pair of aces. And Grannis drew in the chips. [Pg 21] Clancy had kept count of the money. Forty-five hundred dollars in red and blue chips, and four dollars in whites. It—it was criminal! The game now became more silent. Sitting in a big armchair, dreamily wondering what the morrow and her card to Morris Beiner would bring forth, Clancy was suddenly conscious of a harsh voice. She turned and saw pretty Mabel Larkin, Zenda's wife, staring at Weber. Her eyes were glaring. "I tell you, Zenda," she was saying, "he cheats. I've been telling you so for weeks. Now I can prove it." Clancy stared at Weber. His fat face seemed suddenly to have grown thin. "Your wife had better prove it, Zenda," he snarled. "She'll prove it if she says she will!" cried Zenda. "We've been laying for you, Weber. Mabel, what did he do?" His wife answered, never taking her eyes from Weber. "He 'made' the cards for Penniman's next deal. He put two aces so that he'd get them. Deal them, Mr. Penniman, and deal the first card face up. Weber will get the ace of diamonds on the first round and the ace of clubs on the second."
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